The Heart of Skyrim
by TheTwilightMoon
Summary: "There it is again – your unending kindness. You best be careful, my Thane, it could be your undoing – " Rina didn't ask to become the Dragonborn, nor for the tragedies that would ultimately shape her; all she wanted was a normal life. Sadly, even for all the good she has done, the Gods have other plans for the young Breton. Rated M for future chapters. R&R, please!
1. It Broke, Don't you See!

**A/N: Hey, everyone! First of all, I know it's been nearly two years since I published anything, and I am **_**so**_** sorry for that. I don't really know where this story is going, so I will not make any promises that it will get finished. This is more of an experiment, so bear with me! **

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_Chapter One: It Broke, Don't You See?!_

The noon day sun radiated across the bluest of skies as we walked down the stones pathway back towards Whiterun, and the wind was blowing softly past us. You'd think a sun so bright would give off at least a little bit of warmth, but in the cold province of Skyrim, that was very unlikely. Even with the sun shining merrily in the sky, and the distant sounds of birds chirping, didn't take away from the cold air that could penetrate even the toughest of armour.

I hissed as the cold breeze wormed its way under my armour, touching my cotton shirt clad skin underneath. "Damned weather," I grumbled as we walked. "Remind me again why I am forced to walk back to Whiterun?"

My housecarl, Lydia, chuckled lightly, "Because, Rina, you got word of a dragon attacking Dawnstar, and insisted we go and deal with it. Even after it ate our horses, that didn't stop you from plunging your sword through its head, did it? Besides, you're the one who wouldn't allow the Jarl of Dawnstar to provide horses for us because, and I quote "I am the Dragonborn, I'm certain we can make it back on foot just fine"; you're too stubborn and kind for your own good, you know."

I looked back at the road ahead of us, scowling. "Ugh, sometimes I wish I wasn't." I looked back at Lydia, "I couldn't just let them give up their horses to us! They'd just been attacked by a dragon; that would be high unethical."

Lydia smiled knowingly at me, "See? There it is again – your unending kindness. You best be careful, my Thane, it could be your undoing if you are not mindful." I knew she was teasing, but it didn't stop me from smacking her shoulder in annoyance. The Nord merely snickered at my sad little attempt to bruise her. Being a Breton, and much slighter than Lydia, my punches wouldn't do much to her Skyrim hardened skin.

That being said, we both knew I could knock her off her feet in a manner of seconds if I wanted to. Being the Dragonborn, I had the ability to harness the power of The Voice, meaning I could absorb the souls of Dragons I had slayed, and harness their powers in the form of a Shout. Ever since The Greybeards had informed me I was Dragonborn several months before, I had slowly begun harvesting as many dragon souls as possible in order to defeat Alduin, the World Eater, who has been terrorizing Skyrim for months now. I knew the final battle was drawing slowly nearer, as I had finally learned quite possibly the one shout that could bring him down: Dragonrend. It could yank dragons right out of the sky, and bring them crashing to the earth if I needed it to. In my final assault against the beast, if he tried to fly again, I could ram him into the snow as much as I wanted.

Even so, the idea of facing off against Alduin still made me nervous. I had already seen him twice now, and each time was more terrifying than the last. I knew what was coming, and I knew I may or may not make it out alive. That was what terrified me.

The wind was picking up as we continued up the path. I could see Whiterun looming over the hills in the distance, and knew I was only perhaps another half hour away from Breezhome, my house within the city. Jarl Balgruuf had generously named me Thane of his court, offering me the ability to buy property in town, as well as the services of my now good friend, Lydia the Housecarl.

We were just coming up to the Loreuis Farm, when I noticed something down the road. It looked like a wagon that had been turned over, and a horse was standing looking very melancholy nearby. A wagon wheel was lying sideways in the ditch next to the wagon. But it wasn't this scene of the evidentially broken wagon that surprised me the most. It was the man standing, well _tottering_, next to it.

He was clad in an old looking jester's outfit, complete with the cap, and had very pale skin, and dark red hair. He was leaping from foot to foot and his hands on his hips.

He did not look happy.

Lydia and I approached him slowly, Lydia seemed more wary than I, and I was feeling very curious. The man was grumbling to himself as he stood there. As we walked up I could hear what he was saying.

"Oh bother and befuddle! Cicero is _stuck, STUCK!_ Damnedest wagon wheel!" He squawked in a shrill voice, while hopping up and down in frustration. Lydia and I exchanged looks of mild amusement as we walked up to him. He didn't seem to notice us, so I cleared my throat loudly.

"Ehem, problem?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even, while trying to not giggle at how ridiculous he looked. The jester whirled around to face me, eyeing me with surprisingly amber eyes.

"Yes, yes, yes! Cicero is _stuck_, the wheel broke off _don't you see?_ Cicero was taking his mother to her new home and –" He paused, looking suddenly thoughtful, "well, not quite, she is quite dead you see." He giggled, and gestured to the large crate upon the wagon, which I eyed with apprehension. "Her crypt in Bravil was _desecrated_, so Cicero decided to bring her here! But oh _Damndest_ wagon wheel!" He, well Cicero, kicked the broken wagon in frustration, while continuing to mutter to himself. "The farmer, Loreius, he has tools! But he won't help poor Cicero, oh no! He won't help us at all! He is of _no_ help!" His voice reached such a pitch that Lydia and I actually cringed.

I took a small step forward, "So, your wheel broke, and Loreius won't help you fix it?" I said slowly. This man seemed to be quite out of his mind, and I didn't want to provoke any kind of attack. Even so, he was stranded, and I could already feel my need to help him start to grow. Oh Gods, I wasn't going to hear the end of this from Lydia later.

Cicero nodded quickly, his head bobbing up and down so fast I thought I heard his neck crack. He suddenly grabbed both my hands in his, and I heard Lydia start to draw her war hammer. I gave her a look over my shoulder not to do anything rash, and turned back to look at the jester whose face was mere inches from mine now. "You seem like a kindly stranger, would you talk to Loreius for poor Cicero? I can pay you! With coin! Yes, shiny, clinky coin!" He was shaking my hands in time with his head now, and I was starting to feel dizzy.

"Uh okay, I can do that, sure." I heard Lydia sigh from behind me. Damn it. I pulled my hands out of his grasp, and turned to walk up the hill to Loreius's farm. "Stay here," added to Lydia who started to follow me. "Just in case," I added under my breath, and she nodded. I didn't know what his Cicero fellow was capable of, and I wasn't about to risk leaving him alone.

I walked up the hill, and found Loreius tending to his garden. As I approached, the man leaped up, and greeted me warmly. "Dragonborn, welcome! How can I help you?"

I glanced back over my shoulder, "The, um, little man could use your help fixing his wagon."

Loreius let go of my hand immediately, looking annoyed. "Who, that Cicero feller? I already told him no. He's out of his mind, can't you see that? He claims he's transporting his mother to a new home, but how can I trust that?"

I sighed, my patience starting to dwindle. "Look, I know you'll be paid for it."

"_Paid?_" Said Loreius incredulously, "I don't care about being _paid_. What if he is smuggling illegal goods, or trafficking weapons? I'm sorry Dragonborn, but I cannot help him. I don't want to get involved."

I looked him dead in the eye. Over the last little while, I had gotten pretty good at persuading people when absolutely necessary. "Look, I trust you to do the right thing, Loreius. Wouldn't you expect the same if you were in Cicero's position?"

Loreius stared back at me, mouthing words. Finally he took a deep breath. "Alright, fine. You're right Dragonborn. I suppose I should be the bigger man in this case." He glanced down the hill at Cicero and his broken wagon with apprehension. "Tell the, uh, jester I'll be down shortly." He turned away from me, and I took that as a sign that the conversation was over.

I trudged back down the hill to find Lydia looking like she was ready to kill someone, and Cicero dancing around his wagon, waiting for my return. "Have fun?" I teased Lydia as I walked up, and the Nord glared daggers at me and I knew I would pay for this later.

I turned to Cicero, "Loreius agreed to help you, and he'll be down in a minute."

Cicero's face lit up like a child's on a holiday. "Oh, the kindly stranger helped poor Cicero! He knew she would!" He ran around the side of the wagon, and came back with a sack of gold, tossing it to me. "Here you are, kindly stranger! Shiny, clinky gold, as Cicero promised!" He cried in his shrill voice, grinning, and I smiled awkwardly.

"Um, thanks, I guess. Will you be alright now?" Cicero nodded furiously, and I smiled slightly. "Alright, well take care of yourself then." Lydia and I turned away and started walking back down the road towards Whiterun. As we were walking, Cicero called after us.

"Is there a name Cicero can thank the kindly stranger with?" I turned back, and he was looking at me with big, earnest eyes.

I raised a hand in an awkward kind of greeting, "Ah, my name is Rina."

Cicero's face lit up, and he bowed low before us, his nose almost touching the ground. "Cicero thanks kindly Rina for her help! He will not soon forget her kindness, and hopes they meet again one way!" He raised his head and looked at me, and I gave him a nervous wave.

"Um, you're welcome, Cicero. Me too, take care of yourself."

Oh, how sadly right we both were.

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**A/N: Okay, so there it is, my first attempt at actually writing something in over two years. I hope I'm not too rusty. R&R, please! I hope you all liked it. **


	2. Home again, Home again

**A/N: Okay so here is Chapter Two! I had to go back and redo a few parts of Chapter One before publishing because I found a few errors. Goes to show how long it's been, eh? Anyway, I hope anyone who's read this so far has enjoyed it! More chapters to come hopefully as soon as possible. **

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_Chapter Two: Home again, Home again_

"_Unnf!_" I grunted as I landed face-down on my bed in Breezehome, my body making a dull thudding noise. I lay there for a few seconds, before rolling off the bed and onto the floor, landing unceremoniously on my face. Behind me, I heard Lydia chuckling lightly.

"Tired, are we?" She asked bending over and helping me to my feet as I grunted in response. She shook her head, and led me downstairs where she had prepared some lunch for the both of us – her Skyrim famous stew and fresh bread from the Whiterun Market. I greedily dug into my food as Lydia slowly picked at hers, watching me with mild amusement. I glanced up from my lunch to catch her staring at me, and she burst out laughing as some stew dribbled out of my mouth.

I glared at her, wiping my mouth clean before speaking. "What are you staring at?"

She smiled knowingly, "Nothing, my Thane. You just seem happy to be home. And," she added, "If I may, we would have been home sooner if _someone_ hadn't stopped to help a crazy jester." She winked at me, but I could tell she was still brooding about it.

I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore that last comment, "Lydia, how many times do I have to ask you to call me "Rina"? "My Thane" is just too formal." She chuckled again and I scowled. "And yes, I am very happy to finally be home. These last few weeks have been such hell for the both of us." It was true, in the last few weeks I had been on my toes with the whole "Alduin" thing. After learning "Dragonrend" I had faced off against the beast, but he had escaped to Gods know where. Now, almost two weeks later, Alduin had still not shown himself, and I was beginning to get restless. Arngeir, one of the powerful Greybeards at High Hrothgar who had helped train me in The Voice, told me that Alduin had left Tamriel, perhaps even Nirn, and it was crucial that we find out where. However, neither of us could figure out how to do that. Arngeir had told me to leave him for a while, and when he needed my help again, he would call for me. Like I said, it'd already been almost two weeks, and I still hadn't heard anything. I figured Arngeir was probably consulting with the leader of the Greybeards: Paarthurnax the Old One, also known as Alduin's brother.

I poked at my stew with my spoon as Lydia watched me with a worried expression. "You're worrying about Alduin again, aren't you?"

I glanced up, nodding slowly, trying to feign just how worried I really was. "It's been almost two weeks, and Arngeir still hasn't contacted me."

Lydia reached across the table to pat my hand sympathetically. For a Nord, she could sometimes be really caring. "You worry too much, _Rina_," she put more emphasis on my name so to show that she was abiding by my request, to which I responded by sticking my tongue out at her. "You need to just relax; take some time for just you while you still can."

I shook my head, "I can't afford to relax Lydia, not while Alduin is still out there somewhere." I went back to eating my stew while I could feel Lydia's exasperated glare upon my head.

"But we don't know that!" She protested, "Besides, why not take this downtime as "Rina Time"? The Gods know you've certainly earned it."

I shook my head again, causing her to throw her hands up in frustration. "I can't, Lydia. We have to go and see Arngeir as soon as possible, I can't wait any longer."

Lydia held up one finger in front of my face, and I recoiled, afraid she was going to jab me with it in the eye or something. "One day," she began, looking me dead in the face. "All I ask is that you take _one day_ to relax and recuperate before we go and see Arngeir. Is that fair? You're pushing yourself too hard, Rina."

I looked back down at my stew, and then back up at her. "Fine, I'll take your one day; we'll head out tomorrow." I was confused when Lydia began to shake her head again.

"Today doesn't count as the one day. You need a full day of relaxation, Dragonborn-Duty free. Tomorrow, you will take the whole day to relax, and the day _after_ tomorrow, we will leave for High Hrothgar, okay?"

I knew there was no sense in arguing with her so, as much as I hated her right then, I nodded slowly, not giving her the satisfaction of a verbal answer. Lydia grinned at me, and got up to put her now surprisingly empty bowl away to be cleaned later on.

I got up slowly, and stretched, looking around and trying to decide what to do. I eventually decided to head outside and speak with Adrianne Avenicci about selling her more of the iron dagger I had collected over the last several weeks.

I exited Breezehome, and walked down towards "Warmaiden's" – Adrianne's shop. I found her outside, using her tanning rack. When I approached her, her back was to me and, without looking up, she said, "I've got some good pieces out here, if you're looking to buy. More inside."

I smirked, "I'm not looking to buy, Adrianne; merely sell." She turned to look up at me, and a smile crossed her tanned face.

"Rina!" She stood and embraced me like a long-lost sibling, "It is so good to see you; how have you been?"

I pulled out of her embrace, "Just fine, thank you. I have more daggers for you that I found while out traveling."

Adrianne laughed merrily, "_More?_ I swear, Rina, I've got more daggers here than I know what to do with! If I didn't know better, I'd say you were hoarding them just for me." We both laughed, as I dug around in my leather bag for the daggers. As I was searching, Adrianne continued to chat to me. "You know, something very curious happened this morning."

I glanced up at her, as I pulled out a few daggers and handed them to her to examine before giving me a price. "Oh? And what was that?"

As Adrianne turned the dagger over and over in her hands, she looked up at me, smiling. "You're never going to believe this, but a _jester_ came into town earlier. A _jester_, can you believe it? I haven't seen one of those since my time in Cyrodiil all those years ago!"

I stared at her; had she just said a jester? Did she mean Cicero? Why in the Gods names would he have come to Whiterun? I thought he'd have been on his way by now. I tried to keep my voice steady when I replied. "A jester, you say? Really? That is odd."

Adrianne nodded, "Yes! He came by about an hour ago, asking where he could buy food. . . and _oil_ of all things. Strange, don't you think? And a very odd fellow as well; he kept talking to himself about his mother or something – about how he wanted to get her some pretty, pretty flowers. He was a very strange man if you ask me, even for a jester. He kept speaking in third person; it was rather unnerving."

I hurriedly handed her the rest of my daggers. "Here, this is all of them; I'll pick up the gold later. How long ago did he leave?" I had no idea what compelled me to ask where Cicero had gone, but I had to know. It was probably because I hadn't stayed around to make sure he'd gotten on alright, and I think I felt a little bit guilty. Damn my need to help people; it wasn't an aspect of myself I was terribly proud of, to be truthful. I knew if Lydia found out where I had gone, I wouldn't hear the end of it. Either way, I had to know for myself, in order to put my stupid conscious to rest.

Adrianne raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh, he probably left about twenty minutes ago I expect, why?" Before she could finish her sentence, I had already rushed past her towards the doors that led out of the city.

"No time to explain," I called back over my shoulder, "I'll be right back for the gold!" I threw open the doors to Whiterun, and tore down the winding path to the base of the city, where the stables were. To my good luck, I saw Cicero and his wagon were just now leaving the city, with what seemed to be a few extra crated of what looked fruit, flowers, and some different kinds of oil. The broken wheel on the wagon appeared to be fixed, I observed, as I hurried up behind him.

"Cicero!" I called out, and the jester turned around to face me, and his face lit up just as it was when I had gotten Loreius to help him out earlier that day.

"Oh! The kindly Rina who helped poor Cicero! She has returned!" He grabbed my hand and shook it very hard, causing my elbow to pop once or twice. "Cicero is so grateful for all Rina's help earlier! Loreius came down right away after Rina left, and he fixed Cicero's wheel! Now Cicero can take Mother to her new home!" He let go of my hand to gesture wildly to the wagon behind him, which I again regarded with apprehension. Suddenly, he whirled to face me again, his amber eyes suspicious. "But, how did the kindly Rina know where foolish Cicero was, hmm? How _did_ she find him?"

I felt my cheeks start to burn, and I stared down at my boots. "Um, Adrianne the blacksmith told me she saw you in Whiterun getting supplies for your trip, and I wanted to make sure Loreius fixed your wheel like he promised, or I'd have had to back and talk to him."

Cicero threw back his head and let out a shrill laugh that made me cringe. "Ha, ha, ha! Miss Rina is so very funny! And kindly, oh so kindly! She was concerned for poor Cicero! Mother will be so very pleased to know of her kindness." He smiled fondly in the direction of the large crate atop the wagon again. This time my curiosity got the better of me.

"So, your mother is in there? Is this really a coffin?" I began to approach the coffin, but before I could even touch it, Cicero had moved at lightning speed at had my wrist in an iron grip. I mentally scolded myself for not having worn any armor, as he now just gripped my bare arm skin.

He looked completely demented now, and his amber eyes were fiery in colour now. "No one touches Mother but loyal Cicero, _no one!_" He screeched, shaking my arm around like a ragdoll.

I wrench my arm again, backing up as fast as I could. I threw my hands up in surrender, careful to keep my emotions in check, lest I throw him twenty feet from me with "Unrelenting Force". "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I won't go near your Mother again, and I won't talk to her again, I promise." That seemed to appease him, for Cicero's face was back to happy again. He stepped away from me, and towards his wagon. He ran his hand along the wooden crate, and whispered something, before turning back to me.

"Cicero must be off now! He thanks the kindly stranger, Rina, again!" He bowed low, and this time his nose actually did touch the ground. I felt an involuntary smile worm its way onto my face. "Once again, Cicero hopes to see Rina again, very soon!" He flashed me a manic grin, before turning away. I raised a hand in farewell as he began to trot off down the road, chatting happily with the wooden crate again. It was odd, for some reason, a small part of me hoped we would meet again as well, but hopefully under better circumstances, and Alduin would be dead.

I returned to Whiterun and hurried up the path to one of the small guard viewing posts that overlooked the terrain below the city. In the distance I could see Cicero and his wagon, making their way up the path, in the direction of Riverwood. I chewed on the inside of my cheek, my grey-green eyes narrowing, and I tilted my head, curiosity eating away at my insides.

"Where are you off to, jester?"

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**A/N: Chapter Two is done! A little longer than the first, and much more well written I think. R&R, please! **


	3. To Capture a Dragon

**A/N: Here is Chapter Three! Sorry for not updating sooner – I have a final in one of my university courses today, so I was studying all weekend. Enjoy!**

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_Chapter Three: To Capture a Dragon_

"You want to _what?!_"

I was standing in the entrance hall at High Hrothgar, having a staring contest with Arngeir, who had his arms crossed over his chest. My mouth was hanging open, and I had a look on incredulity on my face.

As I had promised Lydia, I had taken the whole day before as a "relaxation" day; though it hadn't been easy. As much as I had tried to relax, I just hadn't been able to slow down my mind. My thoughts kept drifting between one thing or another – from Alduin, to the still raging Civil War between the Imperial Legion's General Tullius, and the Stormcloak Rebellion's Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, and occasionally back to Cicero, and what exactly he had been up to, hauling that wagon around.

Even though I had picked a side in the war, it still left me feeling so weary. Despite the fact that Ulfric had been with me when Alduin had initially attacked Helgen all those weeks ago, I had known the man was power-mad. Like me, Ulfric could use _The Thu'um_, better known as the power of The Voice, and had used it to kill the former High King of Skyrim, Torygg. Ulfric harboured so much resentment towards the Empire, and as such I just couldn't bring myself to help him. It wasn't that Ulfric wasn't a decent man – he was – but he was so broken, and when I had found out that he had planned to attack Whiterun after Jarl Balgruuf refused to side with him, I knew there was no way in Oblivion I was going to side with the Stormcloaks. Whiterun was my home; the only home I had left since leaving High Rock months ago, and I wasn't about to lose it to a madman.

I had rushed to Solitude immediately, and told General Tullius of Ulfric's plans, who had instantly deployed as many soldiers as he could to Whiterun, and there we had defended the city against the Stormcloaks, with only a few casualties. Needless to say, Ulfric no longer considered me an asset, and I knew I would no longer be welcome in Windhelm until this Civil War was over.

Now, because I had sided with the Imperial Legion, Whiterun was safe for the moment, and Jarl Balgruuf had told me he would be eternally in my debt for it. This was where my incredulity towards Arngeir was stemming from at this moment. The Greybeard had gotten this insane idea that made me want to Shout him right off the top of High Hrothgar. He had revealed to me that, when it had first been built, Whiterun had had the capability to house a dragon, hence the name "Dragonsreach". Now, since Arngeir knew that Balgruuf was eternally loyal to me, he had come up with a, albeit crazy, plan on how to find Alduin. There was a dragon by the name of Odahviing, who was a powerful ally and right-hand to Alduin; more likely than not he would know the whereabouts of the World Eater.

And Arngeir wanted to trap him within Dragonsreach for interrogation.

"Are you _serious?_" I demanded, continuing to stare at him. "Arngeir, do you have _any_ idea how dangerous this is? There are innocent people in Whiterun! To trap a dragon there –"

"I know very well how dangerous it is, Dovahkiin," Arngeir replied solemnly, referring to my traditional name in the dragon language. "But I assure you, I would not ask this of you if I was not absolutely certain it was the only way of learning the location of Alduin."

I raked my hands through my shoulder length, dark hair, shaking my head, and continuing to stare at him. "I know how imperative this is, Arngeir, but there _has_ to be another way! Surely we can't just trap a _dragon_ within a city – even if it was meant to house one ages ago!" I turned around in the full circle, throwing Lydia glances of desperation, hoping she would come to my rescue. My housecarl, however, kept her eyes firmly in front of her, not saying a single word. I shot her a glare, before turning back to face Arngeir, worry eating away at my insides. "Besides, how do I even know Balgruuf will agree to this? He can easily say no! If I were a Jarl and someone asked me if they could capture a dragon in my city, Dragonborn or not I would never agree to it!"

Arngeir nodded his head slowly. "I understand your anger and frustration, Dovahkiin, but I know no other way. We must find Alduin soon, or the entirety of Nirn may be at stake."

I shook my head back and forth, trying to bite down my anger. I couldn't afford to lose my head right now, lest I blow Arngeir off his feet along with the ancient looking vases sitting neatly on the tables behind him. "Look, even if I wanted to do this, and I'm not saying I do, how could I even convince Balgruuf? Who's to say he won't simply refuse?"

Arngeir nodded again, "You told me Jarl Balgruuf told you that he would be eternally in your debt for protecting Whiterun from Ulfric and his soldiers, did you not? Why not take this as an opportunity to call for a favor from him? I'm sure the Jarl is an intelligent man, and he would not take your request lightly."

I slowly lowered my hands from my head, which had become nearly completely tangled in my hair. I took a deep breath, and looked Arngeir in the eye.

"What do you want me to do?"

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_The Next Day_

I opened the doors to Dragonsreach at Sun's Dawn, and entered the old style, Nordic Longhouse. Torches were lit up along the sides as Lydia and I walked across the entrance hall and up towards Balgruuf's throne. As we approached I could see Irileth, Balgruuf's Dunmer housecarl, begin to approach us, her hand slowly moving towards her sword which she always carried on her person.

"Halt! What business have you in Dragonsreach, Thane?" Irileth never referred to me as either Rina or Dragonborn; she now referred to me as "Thane", since I had no other title she wanted to use. I had never really liked Irileth; not because she was a Dunmer, but because she just wasn't the most pleasant person in Skyrim.

I threw off my hood, my green eyes piercing her scarlet ones. "Relax, Irileth; I need to speak to Balgruuf. It's a matter of great importance."

The Dark Elf glared at me, before stepping aside, and allowing me to approach Balgruuf, who was seated behind her on his throne. The fair-haired Nord inclined his head when he saw me, and I saluted him.

"Dragonborn, it is good to see you again. I trust you are well?" Balgruuf said in his booming, Nordic voice. He actually rose out of his throne to shake my hand, and he towered over me, making me feel smaller than usual. He was even taller than Lydia, and she was pretty massive.

I pulled away from him, "I bring news from High Hrothgar, Balgruuf." The Jarl regarded me with a look of worry, so I pressed on before he could say anything. "As you know, Alduin has escaped to Gods know where, and it is imperative that we find out where has gone. I have spoken with Arngeir of the Greybeards, and he has asked me to ask you if you would help us."

Balgruuf sat back down slowly, still eyeing me. "You know I will honour my debt to you, Dragonborn, and I will help you as I can, but first you must tell me what you wish of me."

I nodded, stepping closer to him, which caused Irileth to start to draw her sword, but a look from Balgruuf made her stop. "As you probably know, Dragonsreach was built to house a dragon at one time. Arngeir believes that a dragon by the name of Odahviing can tell us the whereabouts of Alduin – but I need to speak with him in order to find out. Therefore, Arngeir wanted me to receive your permission to capture Odahviing here, in Dragonsreach, in order to interrogate him properly."

There was a stunned silence in Dragonsreach then. Irileth couldn't even draw her sword again, for she had gone rigid, and Balgruuf was staring at me in disbelief. Several of the guards surrounding us began to whisper to each other, and I thought I could make out one of them call me crazy.

Balgruuf spoke after another moment of silence. "Allow me to understand this better: you wish to capture a _dragon_ here, in Whiterun?"

I raised my hands in front of my in defense, "Look, I know it sounds crazy, but this might be our only chance to figure out where Alduin has gone. I know it's dangerous, trust me, I already chided Arngeir about this, but he wouldn't budge. Please, my Jarl, there is no other way." I crossed my right arm over my chest, so my hand rested over my heart in the traditional salute of the guards, "I swear to you, here in this moment, that I will keep your city safe from harm. You know what I am capable of, sir. If Odahviing tries to take off, I can ground him in a matter of seconds, and he will be unable to fly again. All I need is a few minutes to talk to him, and try to convince him to tell us where Alduin has gone. If I can do that, I may be able to end this whole mess." Balgruuf still looked unsure, so I approached him again. "I know you will do the right thing, Jarl Balgruuf. I kept your city safe once before, and I know you can trust me to do it again."

He was silent again, his eyes resting on the fire that burned behind me on the hearth of his home – of his city. I knew he was probably going through some serious inner turmoil right now, and it was all I could do not to start begging for his help. We both knew we needed it, but the decision had to come from him.

Finally, Balgruuf raised his head to look at me. "Dragonborn, I will help you."

* * *

_Later_

Guards were positioned at every entrance to the city, and the bulk of them were within Dragonsreach, awaiting the signal from either myself or Balgruuf to lower the trap, and capture Odahviing. I could feel the tension in the air as we prepared to attempt something that others, well probably all of Skyrim, would find completely insane and suicidal.

Despite her protests, I had not allowed Lydia to accompany me during this stage of the plan, much to her annoyance. I knew I would hear about this later, but for now I could not risk her safety as well. If anything went wrong, I knew Lydia could hold her own in the city, and right now, I had to hope to the Gods I was right about that.

Thankfully, getting Odahviing to come to Whiterun wasn't the hard part of the plan. Arngeir had taught me a shout that could call him from anywhere in Skyrim, and the Greybeard assured me that he should come when called. It was a simple shout, really; all I had to do was call Odahviing's name, and the dragon would come running – er, flying.

The guards flanked either side of me as I stood in the hold, steeling myself for what was to come. I turned to look at Balgruuf, who nodded slowly, and I took that as my queue. I walked to the edge of the hold, which over looked Eastmarch. The sky was so clear – so calm; I couldn't help but marvel at how ironic it was. I took a deep breath, and prepared myself for what was to come.

"_OD AH VIING!_" I shouted into the cold air, my voice reverberating off the walls in the hold, causing a few guards to stagger back in shock. Behind me I heard Balgruuf whisper a small prayer to Talos. There was cold silence for a few moments, and I wondered if the shout hadn't worked.

That was when I heard it.

It started out dully, but then it picked up to a deafening noise. The roar that split through the air could chill a man straight to his bones; assuming that this man had not faced off against many, _many_ dragons before. I myself wasn't so much scared for my own life as I was for the wellbeing of the city I had come to love.

I could see the black outline of Odahviing as he descended from the sky, barreling towards Whiterun. I began to back up, my pace quickening. "Get ready to drop the trap!" I yelled over my shoulder to Balgruuf, who nodded and gave signal to the guards.

Odahviing soared through the air, his roar continuing as he did so, and his scales practically in the sun as he cut through the sky. I was fully backed up again the other side of the hold now. Any second Odahviing would be upon the city, and he would, hopefully, be captured.

_BOOM!_ Odahviing crashed into the hold with a booming noise, and several guards were tossed backwards by the force of his wings. He towered above us all, smoke seeping from his nostrils, and his teeth gleaming in the torchlight. He slowly brought his head down towards me, and I swear if a dragon could smirk, that's what he would've been doing.

"_Dovahkiin,_" he rumbled, his giant face mere inches from mine. I could feel his hot breath penetrating my armour, and I had to step away from him, trying to keep my balance. "_Why have you summoned me here, little human?_"

I felt a stab of bravery hit me, and I signaled the guards behind my back. "I just want to talk." At that moment, the trap was released, and it came crashing down upon Odahviing, sealing his head and front legs within it, making him completely immobile. The dragon tossed his head for a moment, before I heard him begin to laugh.

"_Clever trap, little Dohvakiin,_" he growled, trying in vain to free himself. "_Do you mean to kill me now, warrior?_" I could feel the surprise radiate from him when I shook my head.

"I don't want to kill you, Odahviing," I replied slowly, keeping my tone even. "However, if you do not cooperate, I will not hesitate to do so. I know you know what I am capable of." The dragon nodded his head slowly, surveying me. "All I want to know is where Alduin is. He escaped from High Hrothgar not long ago, and it is high time I find him and put a stop to this. I understand that you are his right-hand, and as such you should know where he is, right?" I think Odahviing was just as surprised as I was to hear the confidence in my voice. The dragon raised his head as best he could, still watching me with what I interpreted as a form of amusement.

"_You wish me to tell you where Alduin has gone, Dovahkiin?_" He seemed to ponder this for a moment, and when he breathed out, a little burst of fire followed, causing a few guards to jump back. After a moment, he spoke again, "_I will tell you – no – I will take you to where Alduin has gone; in exchange for my freedom._" He inclined his head in the direction of the trap again. Any other day and I wouldn't have believed him, but he and I both knew that there was no way in Oblivion he was getting out of that trap – not easily anyway. I had the upper hand, and there was nothing stopping me from just leaving him there forever to rot.

I approached Odahviing, "Where has Alduin gone, Odahviing? And how do we get there?"

The dragon's laugh thundered throughout Dragonsreach. "_Alduin has gone to Skuldafn, an ancient Nordic temple. From there he has gone to Sovngarde. Skuldafn is only accessible by air; so you need my help, do you not, Dovahkiin?_"

I stared at him in shock. Sovngarde? That was the Nordic afterlife; was I supposed to go there to finally defeat Alduin once and for all? Was that the only place he _could_ be defeated?

"_Release me, Dovahkiin, and I will take you to Skuldafn safely, you have my word_." Odahviing was watching me again, waiting for my response. I knew I shouldn't take any chances, and there was nothing from stopping this dragon from eating me as soon as we let him go, but I was running out of options.

"Alright, Odahviing, I will let you go; and you have my word." I signaled to the guard, who looked shocked, but obliged, and the trap was raised again, allowing Odahviing to get free. The dragon stretched his neck out a few time, still watching me. He then turned around and walked to the edge of the hold, and looked back at me, waiting. I turned and shot a look at Balgruuf, who looked stunned.

"I will return; until then, keep your city safe." I then turned and took a running start, leaping through the cool air and onto Odahviing's back. The moment I touched his back, the dragon took off, soaring through the air, leaving Whiterun to become a small dot in our wake.

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**A/N: Okay this took a very long time; again, sorry for not updating sooner. This chapter was a little tricky for me, as I didn't know how much information I should include. Either way, I hope you all enjoyed it! **


	4. Skuldafn and Sovngarde

**A/N: Chapter Four! I can't believe how fast I am producing this. . . I hope it's on par with the other stories in this section! I've just been a writing machine lately! I've decided that, R&R's or not, I am going to do my best to actually finish this story, since I haven't finished a story since 2008. Enjoy!**

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_Chapter Four: Skuldafn and Sovngarde_

It was so cold.

That was the first thing I became aware of as Odahviing sped through the clear blue skies above Skyrim. I could see white clouds that looked mere inches away, so if I wanted to I could reach up and touch them. I had never flown before – and I had especially never flown on the back of a dragon of all things. Come to think of it, I'm sure no one in Skyrim, except maybe one percent of her population had flown on _anything_.

Now, as we soared through the sky, breaking any boundaries of logic I had once possessed, I felt a sense of freedom. To feel such a rush of wind in my hair that I couldn't feel unless I was riding my horse, or on a ship – it was exhilarating. I inhaled slowly, and the freezing air threw itself into my lungs and, during that single moment, I felt alive. This was what complete and utter freedom felt like. In that moment I couldn't even recall why I had been so worried.

Odahviing seemed to sense my change in mood, for he turned his head now, and I could feel him rumble with laughter. "_Little Dovahkiin, do you enjoy flying?_" I was pulled back to reality when he spoke, and I cleared my mind and face before responding, trying to pretend that I hadn't been distracted like a child.

"It is certainly something I have never experience before, I'll give you that," I replied, raising my voice over the wind, and becoming painfully aware of just how loud it was around us. "How far are we from Skuldafn?"

"_Mere moments, mal gein,_" Odahviing replied, surprising me with his use of the term "little one", in the Dragon Language. We continued along for several more minutes until I could see, just above the mountain line, what looked like a huge, ancient temple.

_Skuldafn_.

It was unlike anything I had ever seen before – and as the Dragonborn I had seen my fair share of amazing things in the last few months. The first thing I became aware of was how incredibly _huge_ it was. Skuldafn towered above even Odahviing, and he was a bigger than average dragon. It looked like it could fall apart at any second, and I could see ivy crawling up the sides of the stone, Nordic towers. Snow clung to the various watch towers and steps that dotted the temple, and the wind clipped over the sides, whipping my dark hair around my face.

Odahviing turned to me now, his great head nearly knocking me off the ancient structure. "_I will take my leave, Dovahkiin; Alduin resides within Sovngarde, now. You must make your way to the portal, on the other side of the temple. It is guarded by a Dragonpriest named Nahkriin, who has proven to be fatal to those who have faced him before. You will need to use his staff to open the portal to Sovngarde. I expect there to be many dovah surrounding the area, and draugr as well. Take heart, little warrior, for this task you are about to attempt could be your last; pruzah nir._" He then took off, leaving me in a cloud of cold air and dust. I watched him fly off until he became nothing more than a dot in the sky, before allowing myself to exhale loudly.

"What do I do now?" I wondered aloud, as I turned in a full circle to gaze around me. For the first time in a long while, I felt utterly alone; perhaps even a little frightened. Ever since becoming Dragonborn, I had almost always had Lydia with me for company. There had never been a time that I hadn't attempted something and she had not been there – with the exception of when I had had to go to Bleak Falls Barrow before she had been appointed as my Housecarl.

Now, as I stood there in Skuldafn's courtyard, a great sense of loneliness overcame me, and I had to sit down for a moment, feeling my heart threaten to bang its way out of my armour. I threw off my hood and allowed the cold air to race across my face and neck for a few moments, before standing up again. I knew it wasn't safe for me to be sitting around like a lump in this place; at any moment a draugr or a dragon could come out of nowhere and attack me.

I stood up, pulling my hood back over my head, and unsheathed my sword, just in case. I mentally thanked the Gods that I had the ability to use magic, or else I could be much colder than I could be. My fingers on my left hand twitched, and flames encircled them, and warmth spread across my body, protecting me from the cold mountain air. I crept along the side wall surrounding the courtyard, and in the distance I could hear the sounds of dragons, and perhaps even draugr. In fact when I squinted, I could even see a few draugr patrolling along the sides of a few of the towers. The sun was getting higher in the sky now, and I knew it would get dark before too long. I figured if I stuck to the shadows I should be able to bypass most of the draugr at least, and make it into the temple relatively unscathed. I hugged the wall, and began to climb the stone steps as quickly and quietly as possible. I was nearly at the top, and could see the entrance to the temple in the distance. However, before I could reach the top of the stairs, a roar split through the air.

Dammit.

I guess a dragon had spotted me or something, because suddenly the ground was shaking, and another terrifying roared ripped through the serenity of the courtyard. I whirled on the spot, just nearly missing being clipped by the tail of a Blood Dragon as it flew by, roaring and breathing fire everywhere.

I rolled to the side, avoiding another blast of fire. When I had regained my composure, I could see the dragon circling black, readying itself to attack again. I knew exactly what I could do, now that I was no longer stunned. I squared my shoulders, took a deep breath, and shouted as loud as I could in its direction.

"_JOOR ZAH FRUL!_"

The dragon's eyes grew wide I noticed, as its body was yanked out of the sky, and it began to plummet towards the ground, howling and roaring the whole time in confusion. It was slammed into the snowy, dirt covered ground, its body causing the ground around me to shake so much I was actually thrown off balance. I hurriedly regained my composure and began to run at it, as it struggled to get up. Before I made it to the dragon, I shouted again, just for good measure.

"_FUS RO DAH!_" I yelled, slamming it into the ground some more with Unrelenting Force. That seemed to just make it angrier, and it raised its head to breathe fire at me again, but I slip under its head, to avoid its gaping maw. As I slid under, my sword starting stabbing and ripping as best I could. I jabbed the sword straight into its jugular, and as I raced under its belly, I brought the sword ripping through the dragon from its jugular, all the way down its middle. It wasn't a fatal wound, but it sure pissed it off.

The dragon reared its head and roared in pain and frustration. It struggled to turn and snap at me with its iron jaws, but I dodged again. My body and mind were no longer in sync; my limbs had developed a mind of their own as I hacked and slashed away at the beast. At the last possible second, it tried to bite me, and I leapt up on its head, stabbing it several times in the face and back of the neck, shouting Unrelenting Force all the while to keep it from moving properly. After a few more stabs, the dragon went limp, and its body began to disintegrate. I climbed slowly off the now dead dragon, and I could feel a sense of cool and warm air rip through me, as I absorbed its soul into my being.

I turned my back on the now skeletal form of the dead dragon, and continued on my way towards the entrance to Skuldafn Temple. As I approached the doors, I stopped and glanced back behind me, hearing something. I could see several draugr descending the stairs to investigate the dead dragon. How they hadn't heard us fighting earlier, I didn't know. I turned back to the huge doors, pushed them open, and entered Skuldafn.

* * *

It was very dark inside, as I scanned the area around me, allowing my eyes to adjust to the dimly lit chamber before me. Candles were lining the walls, and they cast long, large shadows across the stone. I could tell that things, not necessarily living things, had been here, tending to the temple. So this what where Alduin "plotted" things from? I just couldn't picture the huge monster sitting with a bunch of dragons, plotting on how to take over Tamriel. I heard a distant roar again, and that gave me enough sense to continue on, not wanting to dawdle anymore, lest I become subject to another dragon or, more likely, draugr attack.

I pressed on as expeditiously as I could, hurrying up flights of stairs, and somehow sneaking past what seemed like an endless supply of draugr. Once or twice I was stopped by a few puzzle traps along the way, which proved to be _very_ annoying, but not impossible. I could see the skeletal remains of travelers who had, somehow, made it here one way or another, and not been so lucky to figure out the traps as I had. It didn't take me very long to make it through the whole temple, with only a few draugr noticing me which I then had to kill. Other than that it wasn't very eventful.

That was until I reached the roof.

It had begun to snow when I exited the temple, and came out onto the stone cliffs which I had noticed upon arriving at the temple what felt like an age before. The weather had completely changed, and the sky had darkened. It didn't feel natural though. I could feel a dark power radiating from the break in the cliffs behind me as I walked over the stone ground. Nearby I could see draugr start to notice me, and being to charge. They didn't make it very far, though. I had shouted them off the top of the temple before they could even make it a few paces. I heard them crash into the ground below, exploding into a pile of bones and mort flesh.

I squinted up through the snowy haze, trying to see through the fog now pouring down through the mist. Above me I could see two Elder Dragons resting atop pillars on either side of what looked like an entrance into the hollowed out part of the cliffs. If I looked hard enough, I could see that it looked like it was glowing on the inside. A sense of dread filled me, and I knew what I would probably find when I walked up those steps. I took a deep breath, and began to walk up the steps. The Elder Dragons raised their heads, acknowledging my presence, but they didn't react. I decided it was best not to provoke them; if they weren't going to attack me, I wasn't going to attack them.

As I ascended the steps, I began to feel very cold. The air no longer blew around me; it had begun to be pulled past me, towards something that made my mouth fall open. It wasn't the Dragonpriest who had his back to me that shocked me. I had fought several Dragonpriests already in my time in Skyrim, and though they were still terrifying creatures, I was staring at the sight past his bony figure.

There was a large portal beyond Nahkriin, which glowed unearthly purples and blues, and the air was being sucked into it as it buzzed and howled like the wind surrounding us. It was so bright, and the white light radiating from it nearly blinded me. I stepped backwards, staring at it, still in shock. This must've been the portal to Sovngarde, I mused, still staring in awe.

I must've stood there too long, because suddenly Nahkriin went very still, and lowered his staff slowly. I immediately drew my sword again, which I had stupidly sheathed while staring like a little child at the portal. I watched, fear beginning to build inside me as the Dragonpriest began to slowly turn around, his feet, I realized, not touching the ground. It gave the creature a much more frightening air about it, as it hovered there, watching me.

I didn't even hesitate. I shouted as loudly as I could, knocking Nahkriin backwards, his staff getting flung across the platform, and onto the ground nearby. It didn't even seem to faze him, for he began to fling various spells at me, as I dodged as fast as I could. As I was rolling around on the ground to get away from him, I heard him speak to me.

"_Hin laas los dii,_" He rasped, and from what Arngeir had taught me, I figured he was saying, "Your life is mine."

Rage filled me; I had come too far to allow myself to be slain by a Dragonpriest. "_FUS RO DAH!_" I shouted at the Dragonpriest, and he was thrown backwards off his platform, revealing an alter behind him. He hit the ground, his robes billowing around him, and I could hear a grunt of pain.

"I already have three of your kind's masks, Dragonpriest!" I shouted, laughing as he rose up again, hovering over the ground, observing me. "You will be no different! I will kill you and take your mask, and you will be nothing more than a trophy to me!"

He let out a howl of rage, something I hadn't heard a Dragonpriest do before. Just as I had hoped, it had thrown him off guard in rage. He came at me again, clawing and throwing spells. I had to race to the side again and again, as he continued to propel spell after spell at me. I could see the dragons above us start to become agitated, and they watched our battle below them. How insignificant we must have looked to them.

Nahkriin was whirling around me now, and I could feel the hate coming from him. My comment about killing his brethren must have really made him angry; no wonder his name meant "Vengeance" in the Dragon Language. At the last second before he was upon me, I thrust my sword into his breastbone, severing his skeletal spine. The moment I did this, his head became detached, and fell onto the snow covered ground, and his mask bounced away, discarded.

I stood there, my chest heaving, and my sword hanging by my side. I glanced back over my shoulder at the staff which still lay a few feet away. I remembered how Odahviing, before he had left, told me that I would need to use his staff to open the portal to Sovngarde, in order to find Alduin. I walked over and picked up the staff, before ascending the stairs to the alter that surveyed the portal to Sovngarde. I faced the alter, taking another deep breath. The moment I placed the staff on that alter, I knew there was no turning back. I took another deep breath, and the cold mountain air entered my lungs, calming me slightly. I held the staff over the alter, and slowly place it down upon it.

The world went quiet around me, as the portal began to glow even brighter. As cold as it was, I could feel a sort of warmth and welcoming feeling coming from the portal. I knew that I had to enter it, even if I was alive and breathing, unlike those on the other side. I walked back down the path that led to the alter, and around it, so I was facing the portal. The wind was so strong now, that it was actually pushing me forward a little. I stared at the portal, and everything around me seemed to disappear. I took my final step towards the portal…

…and jumped.

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**A/N: This chapter took a very long time to actually word-vomit out. I'm sorry if any of the action sequences weren't too well written, or were too short. Those are some things in m writing I need to work on. Thanks for reading! **


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